Welsh Gold

There are many places within the UK that are worth a visit, but it would be hard to beat Wales for top photographic locations. Wow!!! What a stunningly beautiful country!!!! These are just some of my favourite locations... Betws-y-Coed in the autumn, wild and rugged Snowdonia any time of year,

Caernarfon,

Trevor

and the Llangollen Canal.

If you haven't been yet, put Wales on your list of places to go... and then go!!! It is breathtaking :-D

Rebecca,x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Autumn Portraits

How lucky were we? If you live in Scotland, or anywhere in the UK for that matter, you'll know that the last few weeks have seen some appalling weather conditions. Rain lashing in sideways, gales, storms, it's been bad! It was therefore with some trepidation that I aquaplaned my way up from Dudley a couple of weeks ago to do a photoshoot in Pitlochry.

I battled across the border, the car getting battered by possibly the worst storm this year and thought I'll be lucky to get home at all, let alone out to do a photoshoot. Having arrived a little damp round the edges but otherwise intact, I went to bed in full expectation of a cancellation due to floods and landslides (not uncommon in the area).

Imagine how surprised and delighted I was to open the curtains on the Saturday morning to clear blue skies and not a breath of wind. Yessss!!!

As a good Girl Guide though, I went prepared and also had the mobile studio so we could go in if the weather turned. As it happens, we had a smashing day out running around by the dam and then into the studio for some warmer, cosier shots.

The girls were incredibly lively, full of fun and spirit. Perfect!!

Thanks to Ian, Clare, Aimee, Evie and Poppy and also a big thanks to Niaesha ;)

Rebecca, x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Family Portraits in Camperdown Park

When Rachel first asked me about getting some family portraits done, we had the idea of going along to the beach at Tentsmuir.

Not a bad idea and an ideal place to go and photograph three lads, but, this is Scotland and the beach in autumn isn't really conducive to happy family portraits when there's a force 10 gale, and the rain is coming in sideyways!!!

We decided on Camperdown Park if it was dry, but were more than likely going to end up in the studio. Not really a problem, but when you want outdoor shots it's just not quite the same.

Rachel must be blessed though.

The sun came out and stayed out for most of the morning, which gave us a chance to explore the park and find some lovely autumn colour to use as a backdrop. It was just about warm enough and the lads were fantastic; they had me laughing so hard at times that I struggled to see through the viewfinder for tears in my eyes!!! A delightful family, a lovely morning in the park, and I can't wait for June next year :) Congratulations Rachel ;) xx

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Emily Jane's Headshots

I love doing headshots for actors, and I was absolutely made up when Emily Jane came into the studio. She is GORGEOUS!!!

An absolute dream to photograph, as well as being easy-going and hugely warm-hearted. Dan, you're a very lucky man ;-) Emily Jane is currently in her second year at the very prestigious Mountview Academy in London, and she is an amazing dancer as well as a singer and actress.

If we don't see her topping the bill in a few years time, I'll eat my hat! Erm, well, I don't actually have a hat but I'd go out and buy one!!

Rebecca, xx

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Edinburgh and Friends

Last Sunday was such a lovely day. It didn't rain for a start, which is always a bonus, but on top of that, I had a great day out in Edinburgh with some really good friends. Happy day!!



I met up with Walter, Susan, and Sid in Princes Street Gardens... eventually.

I texted Walter when I arrived in Edinburgh to find out where they were, to get the reply that they were by the floral clock in Princes Street Gardens. Righto, I replied. That didn't sound too difficult to find. It wouldn't have been either, if I had turned right instead of left at the Galleries. D'oh.

Never mind, we found each other in the end. It was then time to meet up with Annie, Margaret and Paul at Waverley station. Annie had travelled all the way up from York just for an afternoon out with us! Now that's dedication to the cause of friendship and is also the second time she's done it in a matter of weeks!! I am so, so glad she made the effort because it just wouldn't have been the same without her! She's a star!!

Margaret and Paul were on holiday in Northumberland, and it was sooooo good to see them again... you may remember our trip to Glencoe and Rannoch Moor earlier in the year? As soon as we'd all met up, (which was not as easy as it should have been, but quite amusing as Margaret and myself wandered about the station concourse with phones stuck to our ears, "where are you?", "opposite Smiths", "well we're opposite smiths too", "can you see the sandwich shop?", "we're right outside the sandwich shop"... how hard could it be?!!) Anyway, all together at last, we went and got fed and watered before heading off into the city.

First stop was the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens. All 287 steps.



Sid led the way and I followed along with Margaret and Annie as we climbed, and climbed, and climbed, and climbed... yeah, well it was a lot of steps anyway! It was also VERY narrow up the stairs and VERY twisty too. I'm not good on roundabouts or any spinny things, I can't even watch the telly when they do that spinny camera thing they seem so fond of just now (why do they do that? I really do feel sick when they do that!). Anyway, these steps are so twisty that I felt dizzy and sick before we'd even reached the first floor! We bravely climbed to the top though, and despite calling for oxygen and Kendal Mint Cake, we made it. And it was worth it.



The views are tremendous and well worth the climb, and also the thought of the descent. There were several occasions that we were forced to get well and truly stuck into the personal space of the other tourists, as we gingerly squeezed past each other in the extremely narrow and rather precipitous winding staircase, but, thankfully they all saw the funny side and nobody had eaten garlic at lunch, so it wasn't too unpleasant an experience!!!

Back on terra firma, we leapt on a bus to the Botanic Gardens, where obviously it was time for tea and a fruit scone. Can't be too careful you know, it would have been a terrible thing to let the blood sugar fall after all that exertion up the monument! Not that I'm diabetic or suffer from hypoglycaemia, but that's because I'm careful and always make time for a fruit scone at the most appropriate moments!! It was actually going to be a date slice, but a girl came out from the back carrying a tray full of warm and fresh scones just out of the oven... the date slice was tipped unceremoniously back from whence it came and a soft, warm, lovely scone took its place on my plate. mmmmm.



We then had a stroll round the gardens before getting back on the bus and meeting Paul at the station cafe for another brew. Annie, Margaret, and Paul headed back south of the border; Walter, Sid and Susan headed off into town for supper, and I set off back up the motorway to head home after a very pleasant, and extremely amiable afternoon. Perfick.

Rebecca, x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Unashamedly geeky!!

I don't see what's wrong with being a geek. I've been called it many times over the years (well, since the word 'geek' was invented anyway, I just used to be a plain old 'weirdo' before that!), and where I used to be embarrassed, now I am proud. I am a geek, oh yes I am.

Let's look at the evidence. My favourite sandwiches are cheese and pickle. My favourite subject at school was geography, closely followed in joint positions by chemistry and biology. I am a photographer with a do-it-all camera, yet I choose to use it in full manual mode every time, including focusing. I like real ales, I hate lager. I can spell fashion, but after that I am left clueless. I get a nose bleed and altitude sickness if I go anywhere near a pair of stilettos and as for hair-do's, well, mine just doesn't.

So, where would an unashamedly geeky photographer go to with a picnic on a sunny weekend? To the beach of course! Ah, yes, not any old beach, this was Tentsmuir and it was the day of the Leuchars Air Show. Hurrah!!!



And what a beautiful day it was too. I started it in Dundee to capture sunrise over the Law from Balgay Hill,



then headed down to Clark's bakery for a coffee and an apple slice before nipping over the Tay Bridge into Fife. I parked at the edge of Tentsmuir Forest in Tayport to get some early morning views across the estuary and to do a spot of birdwatching (more evidence of very geekiness), and was well rewarded with some smashing views of a kingfisher as it darted along the shoreline. My day was already complete at that point, but it just kept getting better!!

Moving into Tentsmuir and around the headland, I found Lapland Bunting on the sea-buckthorn bushes as well as seals sunning themselves on the sands and a huge expanse of smooth soft sand all to myself. Wow.



I made my way down the beach to the perimeter fence of the air field at Leuchars and sat down to eat my cheese and pickle sandwiches, my plain crisps, and slurp on my coffee. Just perfect.



So why wasn't I in the airfield to watch the show? Well, I had thought that I was to be looking after the dog that day and so I couldn't take him in to the show, but it turned out that his dad was home and so he took him instead. Too late to try and get organised for the show, plus I'd already made up my mind that I was going on a photo foray round the beach, so I'm afraid I didn't go in to the show. But I have and I will again. It's a fabulous show, a great day out and more magical metalwork than any seriously serious geek could possibly need for a truly awesome experience.

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

mmmmm cake!!!!

One of my passions, apart from photography, is cake. Ask me to take photographs of cake and I'm in paradise!! Unless of course I wouldn't be allowed to taste a sample in which case I'd be suffering some kind of cruel torture. Shudders, doesn't bear thinking about!

KB's Cakes of Perthshire do, however, know my weaknesses very well and allow me to sample their wares, and my word, what wonderful wares!!!



Run by a lady of exceptional talent, KB's Cakes produce celebration cakes that are not only tasty, but they are imaginative, creative and really a work of art... a very tasty work of art!!



Fresh, free range and organic, KB's Cakes are the best in the business and, believe me, when it comes to sweet treats I really know a good cake when I eat one!! If you're in need of a celebration cake, for whatever reason, e-mail me rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk and I'll put you in touch with KB's Cakes. And no, I'm not on commission!!!



Mind you, there's an idea, hmm, I could take payment in cup cakes, mmmmm.

Rebecca, x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Still Life

The challenge was set to create a still life image, any subject, so long as it was a still life. Not something I'm particularly interested in or have done much of before, I set my head to thinking about it.

I had visions of still life being bowls of fruit or vases of flowers, that sort of thing, but apparently even objects found outdoors can be classed as still life, presumably if they have been deliberately placed for some kind of artistic effect. That would certainly make the challenge a lot easier. There are many door knobs and rusty hinges, and goodness knows what else that could have been used, but, a challenge is a challenge and so I decided to try something new to me. It's not new to the art world and certainly not new to photography, but I don't really care about that. The idea was for me to push myself, my own boundaries, and surely that needs to be mastered first before any attempts to push the boundaries of photographic art!!

So, what to do?

I decided on the old classic of the whisky bottle and glass, with low warm light and minimal reflections. I thought the best way to achieve that would be to use a flash head pointing up underneath the bottle to light it up from within. Right. OK. Now how do I do that???

In the end, I had a glass dish laid across two high-backed leather dining chairs, with the flash head clamped underneath to point straight up. The stand had to be propped up on 3 lap trays (you know, the ones with bean bags underneath), and then my long dark blue dressing gown draped over the back of the chairs. There was way too much light spillage going on though, so eventually I ended up with a snoot on the flash head, two small black inserts from my lighting bag squeezed down between the chairs at front and back; two long black inserts propped up against books, stacked up either side of the glass dish; and a black jumper coiled around the bottle and the glass.

Great, that took care of the light spillage, but then I needed more light to show the label on the bottle. Cue second flash head, which was eventually found to have best results when bounced off the coving between the ceiling and the wall behind me. So, 2 hours and 27 attempts later, I finally got an image!!



Not perfect, I appreciate that, but for a first go at something I'm not especially interested in, it will have to do!

I really needed to play around with the light to highlight the outside of the bottle a bit better, but, being brutally honest, I couldn't be bothered any more!!! I'd spent enough time fiddling about already, it was nearly midnight and a challenge is only a real challenge if you have the desire to see it through completely. This was a little challenge that got me thinking, but wasn't worth putting a great deal more effort into. That's my excuse anyway :)

Rebecca,x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Tentsmuir

There is nowhere I like better for a stroll at sunrise than Tentsmuir in Fife. I think it is the most stunningly beautiful place on the east coast of Scotland, maybe even the east coast of Britain.



It is a nature reserve on the Fife side of the Tay estuary comprising pine woodland, ever-changing dune systems, incredible dune slacks, miles of smooth sand, and breeding grounds for birds and seals and all sorts of butterflies and insects.



There are also many relics of the war, including sand-covered pill boxes and a line of concrete blocks that were put in place to prevent enemy landing craft from coming ashore here. You'll also see a few posts still visible in the estuary that were positioned to prevent enemy seaplanes from landing.



A fascinating place, Tentsmuir is without doubt worthy of nature reserve status and I actually kind of hope nobody reads this as I rather selfishly want to keep the secret that is Tentsmuir to myself! I've got a massive folder full of photos from Tentsmuir but shall I post them, or shall I just keep it to myself a little bit longer? No, I'll do a longer piece another time, so will just leave you with three photos today and a promise of more to come.

Rebecca,x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Ellie & Mac

I had a smashing day out at the Hermitage last week with a great family, and two absolutely stunning children! Not only gorgeous, they are so full of life and still at that wide-eyed and wondrous stage where everything is an adventure and everything needs to be explored. I love it, there's so much scope for those precious moments when they are totally unaware of the camera and just taking delight in their surroundings.



The Hermitage is a great location too. We started off with the long walk through the woods and out into the meadows beyond. There's some large flat rocks, long grass and lovely views in the background that all make for good sunny portraits. Luckily the sun was playing and we stayed dry and warm... especially warm after the walk up the hill, yikes!!! I'd bought a wee bunch of flowers for Ellie and Mac's mum, but I had warned her that they may not be quite so handsome by the time we'd finished as they were to help us in some of the photos. The bouquet was split and Mac gave some flowers to Ellie, but then realised he didn't have any. Not to be left out, another wee handful appeared and Mac was happy. Sorry Julie... your bouquet sort of turned into a rather bedraggled posy, but at least the children liked them!!



Next out of the rather large kit bag was a pair of bubble machines. Always popular, I remember playing with bubbles as a small girl and still love them now that I'm a slightly plump lady! Having filled a 4 gig card with shots out in the meadows, it was a reasonable time to move into the woods to fill another 4 gig card. The woods are mostly pine, but there are lovely little spots where the sun filters through and warms the mossy undergrowth. Ellie told me that a friendly dragon lives in the woods and I can quite believe it! There is something magical about the Hermitage, and with the river running through it and tumbling over the rocks and waterfalls, it is a truly awesome place. We found the Hermit's Cave, had a peek inside and out through the window at the side. We also found a giant's chair just outside the cave, as well as a nice little stream for a splash about in with the wellies on.



We got a few photos in the woods there and then carried on through, stopping at various points along the way, before heading back to the car park and home.



A magical day out, and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Thanks to Julie and Paul, but especially to Ellie and Mac who were just so entertaining and chirpy!!!

Rebecca,x

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

www.rtphotographics.co.uk

Adventures in Fairyland...

It's probably fair to say that you must know by now that I love my job!!!

Sunday was quite possibly the best, most entertaining, and most satisfying of all the photo shoots I've ever done. I had a true adventure in fairyland... fighting my way through waist-high nettles and brambles; clinging on to slopes beside a very deep and rather chilly stream; perched precariously up a 7ft ladder; and on my tummy almost under the runners of a very large rocking horse!!

Superb!!! That's why I love my job!



Sian is a young girl with a very strong future as a child model. She is awesome! So professional, full of fun and imagination, and so completely tireless, I love her to bits!!

We wove a story using her own clothes and props to show an 'Adventure in Fairyland'. Starting off outdoors, we went across to the neighbour's garden (with their very kind permission), and shot the first series down by the stream.

At least 4 foot deep by the looks of it, it also looked very cold and I seriously didn't want to go in, but nearly did... three times! The first time by accident, but the second and third times were actually by design!

What??? Utter madness!!!

I would have done it though, had I not been able to get to the bank on the far side. But, with a bit of determination... or maybe sheer bloody-mindedness in the face of the cold, wet and rather unpleasant alternative... I managed to create a path through the thickest, deadliest brambles and nettles you've ever seen. Ta daaa! Hmm... er, unfortunately, my view of Sian was then totally obscured by a branch with large fluttery leaves that waved about right in front of her!! Damn!!

Thankfully I had my new and very capable assistant Niaesha, who used a walking stick to hook the offending branch and hold it back out of the way for me.


Phew... saved from needing to get into the water again, thanks Niaesha!! We then headed back to Sian's own garden, where we found the wackiest but loveliest bird box I've ever seen!



Definitely a fairyland bird box!!

It was then up onto the balcony of the playhouse for some fun with the masks. Whilst very lovely, the balcony is, unfortunately, a very long way up. I needed a 7ft stepladder to get any kind of shots, and so in came Niaesha to the rescue again. The garden slopes slightly to the side, so Niaesha had to prop up the ladder to prevent me tipping off sideways and landing in an undignified heap on the grass! Instead of which, I still managed a rather undignified, slightly scared perch on top of the ladder... heights aren't amongst my strong points!

Having avoided ridicule and, it has to be said, injury (goodness knows, maybe even death!!!), we then moved indoors to get some studio shots.



Fantasy ruled and a fairy grotto was created using props gathered from around the house... including the toilet!! It has been said many times, by people far greater than me, that inspiration often comes from the toilet. Indeed it does!!

We also found a huge wooden rocking horse (no, not in the toilet)... and how else do we travel to fairyland than on a wooden horse?



Wonderful! So, all in all, we had a wonderful afternoon on our adventures in fairyland, and although it will take a while to process all the shots, I couldn't resist a chance to show you how much fun we had! Thanks to Niaesha, Sandee, and of course, a massive thank you to Sian :D

Rebecca,x

http://www.rtphotographics.co.uk/

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Take Control!

Digital cameras are amazing. All that technical wizardry and genius in a little box you can hold in your hands. Auto settings mean you just need to pick up the camera, point it at your subject and fire away... but that's not always a good thing. It's fine if you want quick snaps and aren't interested in photography or taking photos that make people go "WOW!!!", but what if you do want stunning photos? What if you don't want snaps, you want photographs? Learning to take control of your camera is the first step.

Learn how to take the photos yourself, manually... not letting the camera make all the decisions for you. I had a wonderful day out on Saturday showing a lovely lady how to do just that.

Having just bought a new DSLR camera, she wanted to know how to actually use it to get more creative photos... to get photos that make people say "wow!!!" We spent a few hours at Drummond Castle Gardens, where she learned all sorts of new tricks with the camera, before heading down to the river in Crieff for more fun and learning in a totally different environment.

Blurry backgrounds, sharp backgrounds, low light, lots of light, close-ups or far-reaching views, these digital photography tutorials are designed to get you started in photography in a way that you can understand.

If you want to learn about photography in plain English, with no need for a degree in maths or physics, I can help you. Split over three sessions, we go out and learn how to use the manual settings on your camera, how to get great pictures, and how to work on the computer to enhance your images and give them the extra 'wow' factor!

If you are interested in one-to-one digital photography tutorials for beginners, either for yourself or for someone you know, get in touch by e-mail rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk and we'll discuss all the options to suit you.

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

An Afternoon at the Seaside... Brrrr!!

Last weekend saw me heading off to Tentsmuir beach with my dog, my camera, but most importantly with my new pal Niaesha who has very kindly agreed to work with me as an assistant.

Perhaps I should have asked if she liked dogs first, as I quickly found out that she has a bit of a phobia about German Shepherds. Guess what sort of doggy we've got?



Thankfully Hogan is nothing more than a great big soppy bundle of fluff, and Niaesha soon decided that not all German Shepherds are bad :) In fact it's worth saying here that German Shepherds are probably one of the most misunderstood of all dogs, as the vast majority are as soppy as anything! Anyway, I digress...

So, we decided to go to Tentsmuir for our first day oot and get to know each other and have a natter as we wandered about taking photos.



What a day!! I haven't seen that much rain since... er, last week actually, but, this is Britain, it's to be expected. Tentsmuir is an absolutely fantastic place to go, and if you are ever anywhere near Dundee or Tayport and you have no idea what to do for the afternoon, there's your answer!



Niaesha is fairly new to DSLR photography and wants to learn how to use a camera properly, so we had a bit of a tuition session while we were there.



The dog was a huge help, leaving extra interest for the general scene and composition... hmm, thanks Hogy but we'll probably manage ok next time!! The worst of that was a lack of dog bins, which meant carrying a bagful of unpleasantness around for the rest of the afternoon. Quite delightful, as you may imagine.

Anyway, we carried on in spite of the rain and in spite of Hogan's 'help' and found a couple of places that we are definitely going to go back to when it's dry and explore a lot further.



The beach hut is certainly going to get another visit, and it'll be lovely to do more with the dunes as well.

Definitely a fantastic place for a model shoot too... maybe with umbrellas and wellies, as it doesn't look like it's going to be bikini weather any time soon!!

So, there we are, an afternoon at the seaside, I hope you enjoyed it, we certainly did :)

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk